About - Национальный Академический Большой Театр Оперы и Балета Республики Беларусь

About

The term "capella" means a musical union, and refers to a performing troupe, which comprises the orchestra, the choir, and the soloists, and sometimes ballet dancers. The group “Belarussian Capella” was formed in 1992 in likeness to the capellas of the Belarussian aristocracy, which were taken as a model. During the XVIII century, such capellas as those of Prince Radziwill of Nesvizh, Prince Mikhail Kazimir Oginski of Slonim, Duke Antony Tizenhauz of Grodno, and Prince Sapega of Ruzhani represented active cultural centers of a European level.

The group endeavours to revive the Belarusian music heritage of academic genres among the contemporary performing arts. Since September 2003 the "Belarussian Capella" is a member of the National Academic Great Opera Theatre of the Republic of Belarus.

“Belarussian Capella" is not only a performing group, but also a research centre, which aims to collect, study, and systematize the relics of the Belarusian musical culture. Its staff also takes part in the organizing of many festival programs.

The annual festival "Adradzhenne Belaruskay Kapelly” (“The Revival of Belarusian Capella”) is typically dedicated to the certain trend, genre, or composer, such as barocco, classicism, romanticism, modern music, religious music, etc. A scientific conference (round-table) dedicated to the problems of revival of the national musical heritage is held within the framework of the Festival. Leading national and foreign performers, composers, and researchers are invited to take part in this event. Guests from Austria, The Netherlands, Israel, Poland, Lithuania, Finland, Russia, Azerbaidzhan, Uzbekistan have successfully performed at the Festival in recent years.

The Belarussian Capella is an active participant, member, and performer at:

the International Annual Festival of the Old-Fashioned Culture (Dudutki, Belarus) along with the company "Dudutki-tour" and the publishing house "Polyfact". Within the framework of the Festival the staff of the Belarusian Capella prepare and release the periodical "Musyka starazhytnyh siadzibau (The music of the ancient manors)" (the notes collection series began in 1995), presents the new edition.
the programme cycle "The music of Litva and Korona (The Crown)" along with the Institute of Poland in Minsk.
the Vitebsk International I.Sollertinsky's festival, the International festival of church music "Mahutny Bozha (Mighty God)" (Mogilev, Belarus), the International Stanislav Monyushko's festival in Kudova-Zdruja (Poland), the Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky's competition of the childrens' chamber ensembles (Smorgon', Belarus), the Festival of chamber music "Musy Nesvizha (The Muses of Nesvizh)" (Nesvizh, Belarus), the National Festival of music "Vocal Academy" (Gomel, Belarus), the regional Stanislav Moniushko's festival-competition "Ubelskaya lastauka (The swallow of Ubel)" in Tcherven and Ubel.

In 1999, along with the Goethe Institute of Minsk, “Belarussian Capella” produced the opera "Faust" by A.-G.Radziwill (composed in 1820, libretto by J.W.Goethe). The group also makes annual recordings for the archives of Belarussian radio.